We examined the consistency of diagnosis of a first seizure in children seeking care at a multispecialty urban teaching hospital, investigating whether the episode described was a first seizure, a nonfebrile seizure, whether it was symptomatic of an underlying illness, and how that seizure should best be descriptively classified. Among other information sought were the source of the medical history, training of person in medical facility who recorded the history, length of time from episode to recording of history. At least two versions of the history were recorded, and a sample audiorecorded; versions of the diagnostic impressions were compared for consistency and for patterns of any differences observed.